Stitches
by zat-writes
Summary: Locus learns that the road to recovery can be a long, winding one with many forks and stops. When he's unable to let go and let himself heal, he finds two people to help him. Lovebugs(Locus/Donut/Caboose)
1. Doubt

Chapter 1: Doubt

Locus' eyes snapped open and a breath caught in his throat as he bolted up right. His skin was damp with cold sweat. Vivid images of carnage and war raced through his mind. His body trembled and a loud sob choked past his lips. He silenced himself by bring a hand up to his mouth. Hot tears welled in his eyes, but he willed them away.

With weak legs and trembling hands, he got to his feet and walked over the small, private bathroom of his quarters. The cold tiles of the floor stung his feet as he leaned over the sink, palms gripping the smooth edges as he stared straight into his reflection. His eyes looked tired and red for the tears he had nearly shed. Scars littered his face, each one a reminder of the battles he had fought.

Another flash of gruesome images passed through his mind, causing his stomach to lurch. His heaved into the sink with eyes tightly shut. He tried to force the images from his mind, but his stomach was empty before he could drive them away. Locus stood there, panting and dry heaving into the sink, shoulders slouched and his knees threatening to give out beneath him. He shuttered as he reached for the faucet with a shaky hand, turning on the water and washing his vomit away.

His eyes locked with his own reflection again as the sound of running water flushed out the deafening silence. He sighed and slowly reached up to his messy pony tail and carelessly yanked out the band that held it in place. His long hair fell over his shoulders and into his face. Locus brushed his hair back with his hand and stared down in to the sink, splashing cold water in his face before rinsing the bitter taste from his mouth.

With another tired sigh, Locus straightened up and shut off the watcher before turning to his private shower. It was small, but he did not need anything fancy. Not like Felix, who bitched often about the size of their private restrooms. Locus brushed that thought away when he turned on his shower and began undressing. When he stepped inside, the water was hot and stung his skin, but he did not care.

After cleaning up, Locus donned his armor and snagged his weapons from near his bed. It was only two in the morning, but he was use to waking up early by now (especially after the True Warrior test back at that Alien temple). If he was going to be awake, he might as well make himself useful and run through their attack plans again. If Felix were awake, he would likely tell him he was being too cautious, but that was the least of Locus' worries at the moment.

His mind was still abuzz with vivid memories of the war. Events that he would much rather have forget played over and over in his head as he tried to focus on the task at hand. As hard as he tried to force these thoughts away, nothing worked. He soon found himself feeling ill again. Thankfully his stomach was still empty from earlier. Of course working out any kinks in their plan became difficult with his mind elsewhere and his stomach feeling queasy, which was unfortunate.

"This is nonsense," he hissed to himself in a hushed tone, sounding more desperate than he would have liked. His foot tapped uneasily on the floor as he covered his visor with his armored hands. He slouched in his seat and shuddered as a new wave of memories began to haunt him. "Why can't I make it all just go away?"

Locus' stomach churned as memory after gruesome memory played through his mind. A voice in the back of his mind spoke to him as he tried to force the thoughts away again and again. The voice belonged to Agent Washington and it kept calling him a killer, a monster.

"God damn it," Locus barked, bolting upright and knocking his chair back onto the floor. He gritted his teeth and balled his hands into tight fists, glaring at the data pad on the table. Hot tears welled in his eyes again, but he refused to let them fall. He was a soldier, not a monster. At least that's what he had come to believe.

" _You're just a killer."_

"I am not," Locus growled, stomping his foot firmly on the metal floor. He realized he was talking to a voice in his head, but right now he did not care. "I am a soldier…"

" _You're not a soldier, you're a monster."_

"I am a soldier," Locus repeated, sounding more unsure than angry. He glared down at his feet. He wanted to lash out, but there was no one to lash out at. Agent Washington was not here and everything was in his head. His mind was working against him and he could not get work done like this.

" _You are nothing but a suit of armor and a gun."_

Locus sighed when he remembered those words he had been told a long, long time ago. He was not going to get anything done like this. Not with these memories and not with his stomach churning like this. He doubted he could sleep again, but he could go for a walk around the Tartarus. Hopefully these thoughts would go away before Felix woke.

Locus wandered the Tartarus for hours, trying to shake away the memories and the voices in the back of his mind. Unfortunately, he was unable to do so. By the time his lack of sleep began to catch up to him, Locus found himself staring into a full mug of coffee in the mess hall. Images of fallen comrades and enemies still flooded his mind. Worst of all, he could still hear Agent Washington calling him a monster over and over again. Coupled with the horrifying memories, the ordeal was quite taxing.

"Do you ever sleep," Felix asked with groggy, half assed snarky tone as he dragged himself in and over to the coffee maker. When Locus did not answer, Felix gave him a questioning look. "Hey, Locus? You there?"

"Hm? Yeah… Yeah," Locus replied quietly.

Felix could tell something was off, but at the moment he did not care. He filled his mug with coffee and sweeteners before joining Locus at the table. Felix sighed and kicked his feet up, resting them beside Locus. If Locus had been in the right state of mind, he might have cared, but for now he was more focused on the thoughts buzzing away in his head.

"You thinking about how we're gonna kill some rainbow colored pests today," Felix asked before taking a long sip from his mug.

Again, no answer from Locus.

"Hey, Locus. Snap the fuck out of it. You can't be all quiet and brooding when we storm Armonia today," Felix grumbled, nudging Locus firmly with his foot.

Locus sighed and turned his sights towards Felix. "Felix, we aren't even going to set foot in Armonia," Locus replied, a slight bite to his tone. "We're staying in the air and giving instructions while our men march in."

"What? Do you want to kill the General yourself or something," Felix asked with a raised brow. "Believe me, as much as I want to shoot that finicky bastard myself, it would be easier for us to just sit back and let the troops take care of him for us."

"What if our men are unsuccessful? What if we lose more men than we can afford," Locus blurted, slamming his mug down on the table.

"You sound like you're going soft on me, Locus," Felix snickered, letting his feet drop and leaning towards his partner with a smirk plastered across that damned face of his. "Who cares if we lose a few men? It'll just be less people to split our cash with. Besides, I thought you were a Soldier, Locus. Maybe that Wash guy was right about you-"

"You talk too much," Locus hissed. He then snagged his mug once more and stood from his seat. He would have his coffee elsewhere.

When their men were blown away by the explosion that wiped out all of Armonia, Locus regretted not being more assertive with his concerns. Perhaps if he had been able to focus earlier he could have accounted for such a possibility or could have distributed the men better. Maybe then they would have gotten to Doyle and gotten out before they were blown to hell. But he had not been able to focus and they lost a large portion of their men. Despite the key they gained, Locus began to doubt himself and he began to doubt his partner more so.

Felix's lack of concern towards their men became more and more alarming to Locus. Felix was completely willing to kill all of their men when activating the purge. Locus' weariness of Felix and his blatant disregard towards the lives of his comrades only caused the doubt within Locus to grow. When they failed to activate the purge and Felix dragged him along to exact his revenge, Locus had no shred of clarity left. He doubted everything. Was he really a soldier? What was the point in seeking revenge? What would any of this change? Why were they here?

When the Alien AI construct finally revealed to him Felix's worst fear, Locus finally gained some mental clarity. He was no soldier. He was a monster and so was Felix. Unlike Felix, Locus wanted to make things right.


	2. Hawaii

Chapter 2: Hawaii

After leaving the Temple of Communication, Locus tried to help in whatever way he could. He tried helping take out Hargrove's Mantis tanks from the shadows. For the most part he could only draw their fire away from the Colonists momentarily. He used that to spare as many Colonists as possible. When the Mantis tanks went down thanks to those Reds and Blues, Locus remained out of sight.

While the Colonists scrambled to help those who were injured. While everyone was distracted, Locus found many wounded soldiers who had yet to be found by medics and dragged them to where they would be found and aided. He was sure to remain unseen, using his cloaking enhancement when needed. He helped as many as he could before leaving the survivors to rejoice in their victory. Chorus was saved and there was a celebration. Deep down he knew that his deeds were not enough. He knew that he had so much more weight on his shoulders than this anonymous act could possibly absolve. He knew that his crimes could never truly been forgiven. But that did not stop him from trying.

Locus found himself adrift. He had nowhere to go, nor did he have anyone to turn to. He had to find a way off of Chorus. When ships arrived to help the Colonists, Locus found one and stowed away inside. It was easy with his cloaking enhancement. He stayed with the Cargo. He had no idea where the ship was going, but he did not care. He just wanted to wind up somewhere he could make a new start and hopefully do something right.

Of course things did not work out quite as well as Locus would have liked. The ship had taken him to Earth. To Hawaii no less. He had enough money on him to live at a rundown motel for a while, but if he did not find a steady source of income he could not stay there long. Finding a job was not exactly easy, but he managed to make some cash doing odd jobs around the small Hawaiian town. At this rate, he doubted he could ever make it off planet to stomp out corruption and help save lives. Perhaps helping those in need on Earth would have to do for now.

Helping people kept him busy throughout the days, but he made only minor tips, hardly enough to keep himself fed let alone save up enough to get off of the island. Of course he would not dare ask for more money. He certainly did not deserve it.

As days turned to weeks, Locus' budget began to become tighter and tighter. Eventually he could no longer afford to stay at the motel he called home. He packed what little things he owned into a duffle bag and headed out. He did not know where he would go, but he could not stay there. He would have to sleep on the streets tonight. Or so he thought.

As Locus walked down the street with his eyes watching the sidewalk, he accidentally plowed into someone. "Sorry," he said without looking up, side stepping the stranger and continuing on.

"Oh, it's okay, Locus," replied a familiar, cheerful voice.

Locus stopped in his tracks. With wide eyes, he looked back to see a tall, blue eyed blonde. Although he had never seen this guy's face before, he could clearly recognize him as one of the blues due to his voice. He was the cheerful, royal blue colored one. Of course he was not wearing his armor, but Locus remembered him for sure.

"You look tired," Caboose stated from where he stood, tilting his head when he noticed the look of fear on the other man's face. "Are you okay, Locus?"

Locus was too shocked to speak, but he managed to slowly backed away. Why was Caboose not wearier of his presence? More importantly, why was Caboose here? Suddenly Locus realized whose ship he must have stowed away on. If Caboose was here, the odds were that at least a couple other Reds and Blues were here too if not all. Panic began to set in upon the realization. They would see to it that he was sent to prison. How could he make things right in prison?

"Wait until Wash and Tucker hear about how I found you," Caboose laughed, snapping Locus from his thoughts. "They will be so excited!"

"No… Please… Don't tell them I'm here," Locus pleaded, stepping forward. He had not gotten to know Caboose as well as Felix had, but he recalled that Caboose was one of the most docile of the team. "It's important that you don't tell anyone that you saw me. Okay?"

"Okay," Caboose nodded with a tilt of his head, adjusting the bag of junk food in his hands. "Why do you not want me to tell anyone you're here?"

"Because I don't want people to know who I am," Locus replied, not really feeling like actually explaining himself.

"Well, I think they would like to know you are here, but okay," Caboose shrugged. For a moment, Locus thought the conversation was over and he could get out of there, but then Caboose continued with small talk. "Where have you been staying anyway? We've been staying with Grif and his family until we can find our own places."

"It's not important where I've been staying," Locus replied, looking around cautiously. One of the others could easily show up at any moment. It would be hard to slip away in broad daylight without his cloaking enhancement. "Look I can't-"

"You look sick," Caboose stated. "Are you sick?"

"No, I'm fine," Locus tried to lie, but his stomach growled loud enough for Caboose to hear.

"Oh! You are hungry. Yeah, Tucker gets all sick looking when he's hungry too," Caboose began as he reached into the shopping bag filled with junk foods. Caboose then pulled out a package of Oreos and held it out for Locus to take. "Here. Grif doesn't share, but I'll tell him that I forgot how many I was supposed to get."

Locus stared at the package in Caboose's hand, unsure if he should take it or not. He was not really one for sweets most of the time, nor did he want to accept anything from someone who use to be his enemy. However, he had not eaten in a while due to a tight budget. With a sigh, Locus reluctantly reached out for the other man and tucked it under his arm.

"Thanks," Locus said with a meek tone. "Look, I have to go."

"Okay. Bye, Locus," Caboose said with a grin and a wave.

Locus waved awkwardly as he turned his back to the Blue. He then hurried away, wanting to put as much distance between him and Caboose as possible. He would have to leave town, lest he get caught by the other Reds or Blues. But it was getting dark, so in the meantime he would sleep on a park bench. In the morning he could hopefully catch a bus out of here.


	3. An Invatation

Chapter 3: An Invitation

The part bench was hard and did not fit him very well, but it was better than nothing. He used his duffle bag as a pillow and curled up on the hard metal bench. Sleep did not come easy, but he managed to pass out after a long while. It was a light, restless sleep. Locus tossed and turned often, trying his damnedest to get comfortable. Of course he only became more restless when the nightmares started. He had not had a single night since arriving here that he did not have a horrifying nightmare about killing people or seeing people die. His body trembled as he slept and he broke out into a cold sweat.

Locus did not wake from his nightmare until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He sprung up with a fright, instincts kicking in and his guard raising. Locus nearly lashed out at whoever had woken him from his sleep, but he forced himself to refrain. It took him only a moment to realize who it was that had touched him.

Caboose stood there, with a confused look on his face. Locus stared blankly at him before looking around for the rest of his friends. Satisfied that he did not see anyone else nearby, his focus returned to the blond standing before him.

"Why are you sleeping on that park bench," Caboose asked innocently.

"Because I have nowhere to go," Locus answered honestly as he sat up and wiped some tears from his eyes, cursing himself for crying in his sleep. He did not have the strength to lie right now, nor did he feel he had to lie to Caboose. He sighed when Caboose sat beside him and flashed a kind little smile. This guy had a problem. Who was this nice to someone who had tried to kill them?

"You looked scared when you were sleeping," Caboose continued, his tone carrying a hint of worry. When Locus did not respond, Caboose continued. "Did you have a bad dream?"

"That is none of your business," Locus murmured, wiping more tears from his eyes. The images from his dreams were still fresh in his mind. The vivid

"Yeah, I don't like talking about my bad dreams either," Caboose shrugged. "Church use to put his arm around me when I had a bad dream. He'd tell me everything was going to be all right and made me feel better."

"… That's nice," Locus replied quietly.

Caboose threw an arm around Locus' shoulders and gently said, "It'll be okay, buddy." Then his head rested on Locus' shoulder. "I'm here for you."

Locus tensed when he felt the contact between them. He was unsure what to do or say. He had never really had someone attempt to comfort him before. It felt wrong considering the past between them, but instead of pulling away or asking Caboose to stop like his mind was yelling at him to do, Locus shrugged and allowed the somewhat shorter man hold him. Although he would probably never admit it, he actually liked the comfort, though he knew it was luxury he did not deserve. Part of him wondered what on earth could possibly be going on in Caboose's mind right now. What on earth was this guy thinking?

"Why are you out here at dawn," Locus asked finally, wondering if the Blue had been following him for some reason.

"Wash goes on jogs super early and I wanted to go with him," Caboose answered.

Locus' eyes widened and he looked around for Agent Washington. Panic began to boil away inside of him. The last thing he needed right now was for Washington to find him. Wash would most certainly not let him get away and he would wind up in prison for sure. He had to get out of here ASAP.

Locus bolted to his feet and quickly snagged his duffle bag off of the bench. "I have to go," Locus blurted before hurrying down the sidewalk, hoping to leave Caboose behind. Much to Locus' dismay, Caboose followed after him.

"But you said that you had nowhere to go," Caboose said as he followed Locus.

"Please leave me alone," Locus begged, glancing over his shoulder as he picked up his pace.

"Locus, do you want to stay with me," Caboose blurted as he followed Locus, causing more alarms to ring in Locus' head. This had to be a trap of some sort.

"No. I'm fine on my own," Locus replied gruffly, quickening his pace as he tried to get away.

"But you slept on the park bench," Caboose huffed as he followed Locus in a half-jog.

"It was one night."

"You don't have anywhere to go. You said so," Caboose protested. "Please. I need a roommate and you don't have a home. We can be friends and share an apartment!"

"I don't have a job," Locus replied with an exasperated tone, never letting his pace slow. "I couldn't possibly help you pay rent."

"Oh… Oh, wait! I know! Grif found us jobs, so I bet he can find you a job too," Caboose blurted, practically bouncing with anticipation as he awaited Locus' reply.

"I doubt your friend would want to help me," Locus sighed, eyes falling to the sidewalk as he continued down the sidewalk. "We were enemies, remember? I tried killing all of you. I'm a criminal. I'm a horrible person."

"Yeah, well, Wash tried to kill us too, but we still took him in," Caboose stated with a matter-of-fact tone to his voice. "He shot Donut and he tried to take Church away. But then we took him in and now he's one of our best friends."

"But he didn't try to kill an entire planet of Colonists," Locus said in a hushed tone, glancing around cautiously again. "It would be best if you just let me live alone on the streets."

"But everyone deserves to have somewhere to stay! Please come live with me," Caboose begged, tugging on Locus' sleeve. "Please. Please. Please."

Locus looked back at Caboose, who wore a pouty expression with his wide, blue eyes akin to those of a puppy's. The former mercenary frowned and shook his head as he came to a stop and turned to face the other man. He reached out and placed both hands firmly on Caboose's shoulders, looking Caboose right in the eyes. "Look. It's not that a place to stay doesn't sound nice… it's just… I can't live with you. I tried to kill you and your friends. I don't deserve your charity," Locus said gently. "Please… just let me be. I'll figure things out on my own."

Caboose's face donned a sad expression as he looked down at his own feet. Locus felt bad for letting the poor guy down, but he could not risk the others find out about him being here. Nor could he accept Caboose's kindness. Not after everything he had done.

"Locus," Caboose spoke, looking back up at the former mercenary with the same sad expression, "are you sure you don't want to live with me? I promise I won't let you go to jail just like I didn't let Wash go to jail."

Locus sighed and opened his mouth to reply, but his attention was caught by sight of a lone jogger approaching them. It was Agent Washington for sure. Locus' heart nearly stopped and his body froze. He could not manage to make himself move. Running away would be futile. Hawaii was small and he doubted Wash would give up on looking for in if he managed to slip away. This was it. He had let his guard down for a moment and now he was going to be sent to prison. So much for them never seeing him again.

"Caboose, who is this," Wash asked as he slowed to a stop beside his teammate.

"Oh, this is Locus, Wash," Caboose answered as he glanced at the former freelancer beside him.

"What," Wash gasped, instinctively grabbing Caboose by his sweatshirt and yanking him away from Locus. "What are you doing here? What are you doing with Caboose?"

"He was sleeping on the park bench when I found him," Caboose answered for Locus, who was still speechless anyway. "Yeah, he's homeless, so I offered to let him live with me."

"Caboose, you can't be serious! This is the guy who tried killing me- killing all of us multiple times," Wash said with a high, shrill voice.

"So, you tried killing us too," Caboose protested, his full attention on Wash now.

"Caboose, this is different," Wash said with a hurt tone, motioning desperately at the former Mercenary with one hand and yanking Caboose further away from Locus. "It's one thing to adopt a Mantis, but you can't bring this guy home."

"You don't have to worry, Washington… I turned him down," Locus finally spoke up.

"If you think for a second that you're off the hook, then you are sorely mistaken," Wash barked, pointing a finger accusatively at Locus. "Don't think that anyone has forgotten the horrible things you've done. Don't think that we've forgotten all the people you killed."

Locus looked down toward his feet as he was reminded of the vivid images still filling his thoughts. He knew better than anyone how horrible he was. He knew better than Wash did. He belonged in prison.

"Wash, don't yell at him," Caboose protested with a stomp of his foot. "He is sad and homeless and I want to help him!"

"Caboose, do you even realize what you're saying," Wash replied, an urgency in his tone. "This guy is a monster. Do you think that he even regrets killing so many innocent people? He didn't even have the decency to turn himself in!"

"You're wrong," Locus said with a meek voice, finally looking up from his feet. "I regret everything. Not a day goes by that I don't live in constant regret. I know what I am, Agent Washington, and I want nothing more than to try and help people… Things just haven't panned out that way."

"If you think that you'll suddenly be forgiven then you are insane," Wash retorted. He opened his mouth to say more, but Caboose cut him off.

"Wash, he's trying to be better like you," Caboose pleaded. "Can we give him a chance? Please? Can I keep him?"

Wash looked at Caboose, who pouted at him the same way he had with Locus earlier, then he gave Locus a very weary look. "Fine, but I doubt you can convince the others to let him stay," the ex-freelance growled. "But one slip up and I'll see to it he's on the next ship to the highest security prison there is."

Caboose grinned and practically tackled Locus in a tight embrace before he could even open his mouth. Caboose gave Locus a tight squeeze and said, "See? I got Wash to agree! Will you stay with me now?"

Locus was nothing short of stunned by the whole event. He stared down at the body holding him before looking up at Wash and seeing the narrow glare he wore. "Do I even have a choice?"


	4. A night at Grif's

Chapter 4: A night at Grif's

"There is no way I'm helping him find a job," Grif barked from where he sat on the couch in his cluttered living room, shooting Caboose and Locus a glare. "No way. You guys are lucky I helped you because we're friends or whatever, but I ain't helping that Mercenary. No way in hell."

"Aw, come one, bro. Help him out," Kaikaina said with a pouty tone, nudging him with her elbow.

"Why should I? He tried to kill us," Grif groaned, shooting his sister a glare.

"Because he needs help and he's kinda hot," Kaikaina said, winking at Locus.

Locus' face heated up and he averted his eyes, sending Caboose an uncertain glance. Standing there in front of the two native Hawaiians felt like torture. He felt defenseless as they stared at him and talked about him as if he was not there. His whole body was tense as he stood somewhat behind Caboose, almost as if he was trying to shield himself from Grif and his sister. He hoped that no one would pick up on that though.

"Sis, you think everyone is hot," Grif replied with a wave of his hand as if to emphasize his words. "Do you not hear the part about how he _tried to kill us_?"

"So? That robot guy tried to kill me and I hear that Wash dude tried to kill you guys too," Kaikaina argued. "Who _hasn't_ tried to kill you guys?"

"Please," Caboose begged as he clasped his hands together in front of him. " _Please_ , Grif. Please. Please. Please. Please. Grif, _Please_. Pleas-"

"Oh my god, if it will shut you up then fine," Grif growled, slouching further down in his seat. "I'll find the bum a job or something. Fuck."

"Yes. Thank you, Grif," Caboose said with a wide grin, spinning around and hugging Locus tight.

Locus sighed and reluctantly returned the hug, patting the younger man's back a little when he did. He looked past Caboose and at Grif. "Thank you… I appreciate your help," he said with a nod.

"Whatever. Just get outta the way. You're blocking the tv," Grif grumbled, waving his hand at the two. "I'll see what I can do later."

"If he doesn't, then I will," Kaikaina butted in with a smirk as she kicked her feet up on the can covered coffee table. She batted her eyes at Locus and waved at him, blatantly flirting with him.

"We should go," Locus murmured as he tried to pry himself free from Caboose's hug. The embrace coupled with Kaikaina's flirting made him feel nervous. He wanted nothing more than to disappear. "Caboose, why don't you show me around?"

"Alright," Caboose cheered, releasing Locus from the hug only to snag him by the hand and yank him off towards a hallway to show him around the Grif household.

By the end of the day, Caboose had showed Locus the ins and outs of Grif's home and told him many, many stories about things they had done since they had arrived in Hawaii. They day seemed to go on and on before night finally came. After an extremely awkward evening, everyone finally went to bed, which was a relief to the former Mercenary.

While most of the Reds and Blues had found places to stay, Caboose, Donut, and Simmons had yet to find their own places. As a result, the sleeping arrangements were tight. Simmons shared a bed with Grif while Caboose and Donut shared the guest room. Of course that left Locus to sleep on the couch. After his night on the park bench, Grif's couch was a blessing.

Of course he had trouble enjoying it when his nightmares started up again. Just like every other night, Locus awoke in a cold sweat, tears threatening to fall from his tired eyes. It was three thirty in the morning when he woke and he doubted he could get himself to fall asleep again.

"Unfortunate," Locus sighed as he rolled over onto his side, staring into his reflection on the blank television screen. Fortunately he did not feel sick like he so often did after his nightmares. He felt restless, but he refused to get up. Everyone else was still sleeping and he feared if he would wake them if he moved around the house freely. In the meantime, he tried to drive his memories away.

For a long time, Locus remained still, watching his reflection as time went by at a snail's pace. It felt like an eternity had passed before the clock struck six am. The time was more reasonable now and he felt like he'd be less of a bother if he moved around now. So, with a yawn, Locus sat up and stretched out his tired limbs.

He then began to pace back and forth quietly though the living room. He contemplated briefly about going out for a walk or a jog, but he shot the idea down. He would rather not take a chance and run into Wash. After a bit, he settled on tidying up Grif's messy living room. It did not take him quite as long as he thought it would. Thankfully Simmons kept the place somewhat clean. It was clearly hard to keep anything tidy with Grif around.

As Locus finished cleaning, he came across one of those vacuum robots. It kept ramming into his foot and he kept pushing it away. It followed him wherever he went, even into the kitchen. It seemed intent on annoying Locus as much as possible.

"Why won't you stop that," Locus growled at the Roomba. He did not expect a reply, but he got one.

"You are the enemy," the Roomba said with a robotic voice. Locus stared at the small robot with a blank expression, surprised by the talking Roomba.

"You're that Mantis, aren't you," Locus asked with an exasperated tone, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Affirmative," Freckles replied, continuing to ram into Locus' foot over and over again.

Locus sighed and shook his head. Of course the Roomba was the Mantis. Of course they had kept their "pet". Although he never understood how they could take the Mantis in as a pet, he supposed he should have seen it coming. If he was going to be living with Caboose, he would likely have to get used to it.

"You're Caboose's pet, right," Locus asked, leaning against a counter as he watched the little robot repeatedly ram into his foot.

"Affirmative."

"He took me in, you know. I am very grateful and I can assure you that I won't harm him," Locus said, glancing at the clock on the microwave. "He's very kind."

"Affirmative. He found me and repaired me," Freckles replied, slowing his ramming a little. "He named me and

"Guess he has a knack for helping dangerous things, hm," Locus forced a chuckle. When Freckles ceased ramming into his foot, Locus sighed and glanced back down at the Roomba. "You wouldn't happen to know what he likes to eat for breakfast, would you?"

"Pancakes," Freckles replied before spinning around and leaving the kitchen.

Locus watched the little vacuum robot leave before turning to the pantry and peeking inside. Caboose and the others would likely wake soon enough and he wanted to surprise them was a nice breakfast. The former mercenary pulled out the ingredients needed and began cooking up a large batch of pancakes. He had to make sure he made enough for everyone. From all the arguing he had overheard between Grif and Simmons the day before, Locus guessed that Grif had a big appetite, so he made sure to make extras.

By the time he was finishing up, Donut and Caboose dragged themselves out into the dining area where Locus was setting out their pancakes. "Oh, those smell yummy," Caboose cooed as he trotted up to the table and pulled out a chair. Once he sat down, Caboose plucked a few hot cakes off the plate at the center and stacked them on his own plate. Then he snagged the syrup and proceeded to drown the pancakes in it.

"I didn't take you as the type to cook," Donut said as he took a seat beside Caboose.

"Felix could handle himself in battle, but he couldn't feed himself if tried," Locus shrugged, taking a seat at the opposing side of the table.

"Wow. So, you did all of the cooking," Donut asked as he dished himself up a few pancakes.

"Not all the time, mostly when he wouldn't shut up about being hungry," Locus answered, watching Donut coat his pancakes with a thin layer of syrup. "Whenever we had down time between clients, I did all of the cooking."

"You must be pretty good at cooking then," Donut said with a smile, his eyes focused on the meal in front of him.

"Actually, I'm not that good. Passable, but not good," Locus sighed, finally serving himself some pancakes.

"These pancakes are good," Caboose blurted after downing a large mouthful of pancakes. "Really good."

"They are pretty good," Donut added. Donut could make better pancakes, but Locus was not half bad at this.

"Thank you," Locus said quietly. It was hard for him to accept praise, but he appreciated it.

Before long, Kaikaina joined them and served herself a large stack of pancakes. Then Simmons joined them. The last one to the table was Grif, arriving just as everyone else finished eating. While Grif ate his breakfast, Caboose happily helped Locus with the dishes. The chore seemed less tedious with Caboose telling him stories while they worked.


	5. The New Apartment

Chapter 5: The New Apartment

Grif was able to find Locus a job in only a few days, but it took a couple weeks to find an apartment. It was a relief to Locus when he and Caboose finally moved out of Grif's place. He did not like being in such close quarters with so many people he had once been enemies with. Not to mention the blatant discomfort Grif, Simmons, and Donut had with him being around. It was like a gift from god when he and Caboose found a small but quaint apartment near the park.

Moving in was easy with the Reds and Blues helping out. Of course they mostly helped Caboose while leaving Locus to take care of his own things. Not that he could complain. He preferred to be alone. Or at least he thought so.

Before long, Locus and Caboose were settled into their small apartment. It had three rooms, a small bathroom, and a decent sized kitchen. The only problem with the place was the high rent. Caboose did not make much and neither did Locus, but they managed to get by. They both got along pretty well and Locus quickly grew fond of Caboose. Life with him was so much better than being alone (though Locus still felt he did not deserve it). For a while, things seemed like they were working out.

Unfortunately, rough times hit when Locus lost his job. It seemed like they would need a third to keep them caught up on rent, but none of Caboose's friends wanted to live with him while Locus was under the same roof. More than once one of the Reds of Blues tried talking Caboose into moving in with one of them and leaving Locus to be on his own. Of course no one knew that Locus could hear them through the walls. Although he had grown attached to Caboose, Locus knew they were right to try and get Caboose to abandon him.

As much as Locus hated the idea of upsetting Caboose, he could not drag his friend down into the muck with him. Not when Caboose had a bright future ahead of him. So, while Caboose was at work, Locus decided that it would be best if he broke the news to Caboose and told him to move in with Agent Washington. It was better for Caboose to be a little sad now than to be stuck with a loser like him.

When Locus heard Caboose come home, he was in the shower. By the time Locus was dressed and prepared to break the news to the poor kid, Locus found him curled up on the couch. Locus stood in the hallway, watching with a frown as Caboose clutched Freckles close to his chest, sobbing into the small, robotic vacuum. Suddenly all thoughts of telling Caboose the bad news were out the window. Instead Locus felt something inside him flare up. He felt protective of Caboose.

"Caboose," Locus said as he finally entered the living room and rounded the couch. He knelt beside Caboose and carefully reached out, to pet Caboose's messy hair. His touch was kind and delicate, as if he were afraid that anything more would break the blond. "What's wrong?"

"I miss Church," Caboose murmured, giving Freckles a squeeze.

Locus nodded slowly, not quite knowing what to say. So he chose to act. Caboose sat up when he saw Locus joining him on the couch. Locus put his arms around Caboose and let him lean his head against Locus' shoulder. Caboose buried his face into Locus' neck and choked back a sob. To think this kid had probably been depressed this whole time.

"It hurts so much," Caboose sniffled, his body trembling from the tears. "He left me again."

"It'll be okay," Locus said, gently petting Caboose's hair as he held him in a warm embrace. Locus had heard that the AI that aided them on Chorus had passed away, but the details were foggy to him.

"No it won't. Church can't come back this time," Caboose cried into Locus' neck. "He left me to stop the big, mute guy. He left me to find Tex. He left me to be with Carolina. And now he's gone forever... I miss him so much, Locus."

"Loss… is a hard thing to cope with," Locus said just above a whisper. "I know it hurts, but I'm here for you."

"You won't leave me, will you," Caboose sniffled, raising his head enough to look up at Locus with those sad, swollen eyes of his. "Not like Church?"

Locus felt a lump grow in his throat when he locked eyes with Caboose. He was dragging Caboose down and he could not bear to be a burden any longer, so he had to leave Caboose. However, Locus and Caboose had grown so close since Caboose took him in and Locus hated seeing him so sad. How could Locus ever break the bad news to his best friend? How could Locus break that innocent heart of his?

"… Locus?"

"Caboose, I… I'm here right now and that's all that matters, okay," Locus said, avoiding Caboose's question. Locus then gave Caboose a firm squeeze and let him burry his face into his neck once more. "Freckles is here for you too."

"Affirmative."

Caboose sniffled and clutched Freckles closer to his chest. "Okay," he murmured, closing his eyes and rested against Locus' strong body.

Locus held Caboose close for a long time, letting him cry into the crook of his neck. Gentle fingers ran soothingly through Caboose's hair. It took some time, but eventually Caboose's crying faded into occasional sniffles.

"…Locus, can I ask you something," Caboose asked quietly.

"Yeah?"

Caboose raised his head from where it rested and looked Locus in the eyes, then he asked, "Can I kiss you?"

Locus stared at Caboose, stunned by the question. His heart pounded in his chest as he contemplated the request. Locus liked Caboose. He liked Caboose a lot, but Locus was still convinced he was not worth the time of day. He did not deserve such an intimate sign of affection, but Caboose's lips looked so soft. In the end, temptation won and Locus gave a nod in response.

Caboose flashed a small smile before leaning in and giving Locus a kiss. It was a soft, sweet kiss and it felt so right. The hand that once played with Caboose' blond locks moved up and cupped the younger male's cheek. Locus tipped Caboose's head back slightly to get a better angle as they kissed. Locus wondered what this meant for them, but at the moment he did not care.

The kiss lasted only a few moments before Caboose pulled away and set Freckles back on the floor. Then Caboose leaned back against Locus, giving him one more quick peck before letting his head rest on his strong shoulder. "Can I sleep with you tonight," Caboose asked as he wrapped his arms around Locus' body.

"Of course."


	6. One, Two

Chapter 6: One, Two

Locus awoke with a solid body curled up in his arms, sleeping soundly and snoring lightly. Blond hair tickled his nose as he adjusted them ever so carefully as he tried to get comfortable again. Locus did not dare wake his companion. It was still very early and Caboose would be out for a while longer, so Locus would have to wait until he woke up on his own.

Caboose had been sleeping with Locus every night since their first kiss two weeks prior. Since that day, things between them became more intimate. Caboose was far more affectionate than he usually was and so was Locus. Although they had yet to talk about it, it was clear by their actions that they were now a couple. Of course Locus was unsure how long it could possibly last or if he could continue putting off the inevitable because of it. They were still in a financial bind after all, but those thoughts did not register at the moment. Right now Locus was sleepy and content with the warm body in his arms.

"You're too good for me," Locus sighed before kissing the back of Caboose's head. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to enjoy the quiet, peaceful morning. He liked mornings like these when he could just stay in bed and hold Caboose close. When he could just forget his troubles and pretend things would be okay for a little while.

It was seven am when Caboose finally began to stir, Locus placed gentle kisses on his shoulders as he woke. Caboose smiled sleepily and shifted to look back at Locus, who gave him one last peck on the lips. "Morning, Locus," Caboose yawned as he wiped the sleep from his eyes. "I had a dream about you."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. In my dream, you took me to the beach and we went swimming and that Sharkface guy was there and Felix was too," Caboose started, sitting up and stretching out.

"Oh?"

"Yeah! Felix was being kinda mean and you punched him in the face for me. Then we got ice cream," Caboose added with a snicker. "Would you punch Felix in the face for me? You know, if he wasn't dead?"

"I would most definitely punch Felix in the face for you. I'd punch him in the face for any reason really," Locus said with a slight chuckle, flashing Caboose a small smile as he sat up as well. Locus stretched out his limbs as well. "Want me to make breakfast?"

"Yes! I want pancakes with whipped cream," Caboose answered, wearing that big, innocent grin that Locus had come to love.

"Alright, you go get ready for work and I'll get started on breakfast. Don't forget your medication either," Locus said. When Caboose nodded in agreement, he pecked Caboose once more before climbing out of bed, heading out into the hall and toward the kitchen.

Locus sighed and pulled out the ingredients needed for Caboose's pancakes. Once the mix was made, he got started on making the pancakes. Before long, he had a stack started on a plate. Since Locus did not have a job, he took to handling household chores such as cooking and cleaning. He knew it was not much, but it was all he could really do to make himself useful. Not that he minded. Locus actually enjoyed cooking when he was cooking for someone who actually appreciated it and Caboose appreciated everything he did.

By the time Caboose was cleaned up and dressed, Locus had the table set and a stack of pancakes set out for him. Caboose sat down and marveled at the tasty display. Locus, who sat across from him, smiled when Caboose dipped his finger into the whipped cream. "Thank you so much, Locus," Caboose keened as he snagged his fork and knife and dug right in.

"You're welcome, Caboose," Locus replied, taking his own fork in hand and digging in as well.

"When I get home from work, do you want to watch some movies with me," Caboose asked with a full mouth, looking up at Locus with those doe eyes of his. "We can order a pizza and you can hold me and play with my hair like I like."

"Sounds good to me," Locus said with a slow nod. His mind was elsewhere at the moment, as it was most mornings.

After breakfast, Caboose kissed Locus goodbye and left for work, leaving the former Mercenary home alone. Locus washed the dishes and tidied up around the house to pass the time, but he was finished before long. Then he was left with his thoughts, like he was every work day.

Locus sat at the couch, looking through the wanted ads on a data pad. He hoped to find a job and end this financial bind they were in, but he had not had any luck so far. He applied to whatever job he could, but no one called back or even emailed him yet. As much as he wanted to keep trying, Locus feared he'd just drag Caboose deeper into the muck. He applied to one last job, a landscaping job, before setting the data pad down and burying his face into his hands with a long, defeated sigh.

His hands dragged down past his eyes and he stared down at the Roomba on the floor by his feet. Locus knew he was desperate when he considered asking the vacuum for its opinion on the problem at hand.

"… Freckles… Do you think I should break everything off with Caboose," Locus asked, his tone low and uncertain. "I-I know it will probably break that insanely fragile heart of his, but we can't keep living like this. Money is tight and he deserves so much better than I can offer."

"Keep trying," Freckles replied bluntly.

"But what if I can't find a job," Locus urged. "What if I keep dragging him down with me? I can't keep leeching off of him."

"Caboose likes you and you like him, so keep trying," Freckles repeated more firmly. "You will find a job eventually."

Locus simply nodded and sat up straight again. Although he still felt he was wrong to drag this on any longer, he would keep trying for Caboose. Freckles had a point, right? He would just have to apply to more jobs and hope for the best. Surely someone would respond eventually, right? He had to have faith that everything would work out… eventually.

Of course the sudden spur of hope did not last long. Soon the fleeting hope was pushed aside was replaced with doubt and self-loathing once more. How could he be so selfish? How could he keep this going when Caboose deserved so much better? Locus was a monster and he did not deserve any of this. He killed people. He killed people and he tried to kill Caboose and his friends. How could he even think of staying with Caboose after that let alone start dating him? He had to break things off. He just had to.

By the time Caboose came home, Locus had prepared himself to break Caboose's heart. He rehearsed what he was going to say over and over again in his head. When Caboose walked through the door, Locus called him over to the couch. His stomach was in knots and there was a lump in his throat, but it had to be done.

Caboose sat beside him and Locus took hold of his hands gently. "Caboose, there's something we need to talk about," He started, his voice as delicate as he could manage. "We can't live like this. I'm unemployed and I can't help you pay bills. You don't make enough money alo-"

"Locus, I almost forgot something really important," Caboose blurted with wide eyes and a grin. "I was supposed to tell you yesterday but we started kissing and I forgot. Donut wants to move in with us! He said he can help me pay rent and that he needs a place anyway and that living with me would be like a sleepover every day."

"… Oh."

"Can he move in with us? Please, Locus? Please," Caboose pleaded, squeezing Locus' hands and wearing that big grin that he always had.

"… I don't see why not…"


	7. Three

Chapter 7: Three

Donut turned out to be a very nice addition. Things got easier as soon as he moved in. There was less of a financial strain. Of course with the addition came changes that Locus had to get used to. One change being the decorations Donut brought. Just about everything was pink, there were scented candles everywhere, and you could not go five feet without spotting something frilly. Not to mention how Donut insisted on rearranging their furniture and took care of some of the cooking and cleaning.

Although Locus did not mind that as much as he minded the new presence. While he had grown comfortable with Caboose, Locus was not yet use to Donut. When he was around Donut, he was even more aware of his past. Even more aware of how he had tried to kill these guys many, many times. Though he kept it all to himself. Kept it all bottled up and locked away behind a tough, steel safe where no one could find his weaknesses.

Despite keeping his troubles locked away, Caboose had learned how to tell when Locus was having a hard time. He got quiet and his body was tense, much like that morning at the park so many weeks ago. Though Locus never told him why he was upset, Caboose still tried his best to cheer him up. He would hold Locus's hand or give him those endearing hugs. Sometimes he even kissed him until he felt a little better. For the most part, it worked, if only temporarily.

"So, how was work, Caboose," Donut asked as he sat at the dinner table after dishing the three of them up.

"Today was okay," Caboose sighed, slouched over his plate and pushing his food around with his fork rather than eating it. "A customer was mean to me and yelled at me."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Some people can just be so rude," Donut said with a huff, his brow furrowed and his lower lip pouted. After a moment his expression softened to a more caring one. "Is there anything I can do to make it better?"

"Y-yeah," Caboose started, sitting up from his slouched position. "Can you make me some cookies, Captain McMuffin?"

"Of course I can, Caboose," Donut said with a croon, reaching over and patting Caboose's shoulder. Then Donut's sights turned to Locus, who rarely spoke unless spoken to. At least in Donut's presence. "How about you, Locus? How was your day?"

"Fine," Locus replied quickly, not even looking up from his plate.

"Has anyone called you to offer you an interview," Donut continued, hoping to coax the more reserved of them into speaking up for a change.

"No, not yet. I promise I'm applying to as many jobs as I can," Locus said. His tone was defensive and a tad desperate.

"It's okay. I wasn't trying to pressure you or anything," Donut sighed, resting his chin on one of his fists as he pushed his food around too.

"Locus is just shy," Caboose said with a shrug. "He's not use to you like he is to me."

"I don't bite unless you ask me to, Locus," Donut stated seriously before taking a bite.

"Donut is really nice. You'll love him when you get to know him," Caboose said, nudging Locus' foot with his own. "You two have a lot in common, you know."

"We do," Donut ask with a raised brow.

"Yeah! Locus can bake like you can and he likes to clean," Caboose said, practically leaning over the table as he talked to Donut. "He gives the best hugs like you do. Oh, and you both have scars on your faces."

Locus smiled and shook his head. "I don't think scars count as something in common, Caboose," he said.

"That's the most I've heard you say since I moved in," Donut marveled with a grin. "It's the first time I've seen you smile too I think."

Locus' smile faded in that moment and he looked back down at his plate. Donut's face dropped too. Caboose saw this and frowned as well, but it was soon gone and replaced with a big grin.

"You two should make the cookies together," Caboose blurted. "Maybe then you two will get to bond."

"Well, I don't mind having a helping hand," Donut said, eyeing Locus. "If he doesn't mind that is."

Locus glanced between Caboose and Donut, debating whether he could manage helping Donut out without being reminded of his murderous past. "I suppose I could help you out," he sighed, deciding to give it a try for Caboose.

After dinner, Locus cleaned up while Donut got out the ingredients for the cookies. The dishes were done quickly. Donut had gotten started, but that did not mean he could not still help.

"What kind of cookies are you making," Locus asked as he glanced over the ingredients.

"Chocolate chip. They're his favorite," Donut answered with a grin, tapping his chin as he mentally went over the recipe in his mind.

Donut turned on the oven and handed Locus the bag of flour. He gave Locus a few instructions. For the most part, they spoke only when necessary. The awkward silence was broken when Donut was mixing the cookie dough by hand.

"So, are you and Caboose… you know? Dating," Donut asked coyly as he mixed the cookie dough.

"Yes," Locus answered, glancing over at Donut briefly before looking back at the cookie sheet he held in his hands. "We've been dating a little while now… Why do you ask? Does it bother you?"

"Oh, no! No, I think it's really cute actually," Donut replied quickly, looking up from the cookie dough. "You're a cute couple."

"Well, that's not the reaction I expected from one of Caboose's friends," Locus chuckled, setting the cookie sheet down next to Donut and leaning against the counter.

"Not gonna lie, the other's might not be as accepting of it as I am," Donut shrugged. "If they got to know you first, then maybe they'd be more okay with it. But right now, they don't really trust you."

"I can't really blame them," Locus sighed, a hand going up to run though his long hair. "I did try killing all of you."

"Yeah… Anyway, it's time to get these cookies on that sheet and in the oven," Donut said with a sing-song tone, slapping Locus playfully on the shoulder.

Locus smiled and gave a nod. Maybe he would get along well with Donut after all.


	8. Nightmare

Chapter 8: Nightmare

It was bright. The sounds of screaming and Gunfire filled the air, drowned out only by the loud ringing in his ears. Locus was on the battle field, standing in the middle of the hell that was war. His comrades dropped one by one. He could do nothing to help them. Nothing to stop the massacre. His body was heavy and unmoving, like he was frozen in place. Forced to watch as the men he once saw as brothers get gunned down right before his very eyes.

Bullets pierced their bodies and explosions sent their bodies flying like ragdolls. His Captain took him by the shoulders and shouted at him urgently, but Locus' ears were ringing too loud for him to make out a single word. As Locus stared helplessly at his Captain an enemy shot zipped through his Captain's head. Just like that, he was dead and on the ground in front of Locus.

All he could do was stand there in shock as everything seemed to fade to black. The faint echoes of the battle played in the background and he had to strain himself just to hear it. Locus felt cold and hallow. All he wanted was to open his mouth and scream. So he did. He opened his mouth and screamed into the pitch black voice that surrounded him.

"Locus?"

"…"

"Locus!"

Locus felt hands on his body. They were shaking him frantically. Desperately trying to snap him out of it. Trying to wake him from the nightmare.

" _Locus_ , wake up!"

"Felix, just shut the fuck up," Locus shouted, his voice shaky and his hands balling into fists. He could feel tears rolling down his cheeks.

"… Locus, I am not Felix," said Caboose's voice.

Locus' eyes open and it only took him only a moment to realize where he was and that his breathing was raged. His body was trembling like he was freezing and his cheeks were wet with tears. The last thing he realized was that Caboose was hovering over him and how worried he looked.

"I… I'm so, so sorry," Locus said quickly as he sat up and dried his eyes with a sniffle. "I didn't mean to tell you to shut up like that… Did I wake you?"

"Yeah… you were crying really loud and then you screamed," Caboose answered, looking at Locus with tired, yet concerned eyes. "Are you okay?"

"No, not really," Locus admitted, his voice quiet and scared. "But I'll… I'll get over it."

"… Locus, who is Johnson?"

Locus froze and felt his stomach drop. He felt sick suddenly. "He's no one," he answered quickly, a hand shooting up to cover his mouth as that wretched memory flashed before his eyes again.

"Oh… You kept crying that name though," Caboose pressed on. "Why would you cry about no one?"

Locus shook his head and covered his mouth as he relived that vivid memory from his nightmare. His body went rigid as that nightmare played itself over and over. "He was my Captain back before I became a mercenary," he answered quietly. "… He died."

"Oh… Were you close," Caboose asked as he reached out to put an arm around Locus.

As much as Locus did not want to answer that, he could not stop himself. With a tremble in his voice, Locus answered, "You could say we were close… Close enough."

"Do you miss him?"

Locus looked down at his lap. He did not know how to answer that question. Did he miss Johnson? After all these years, did he still miss Johnson? "To tell you the truth, I don't think I do," he replied with a slow shake of his head, his tone uncertain and weak. "But I still feel guilty. He… He died because of me... Because I failed to be a good Soldier when it mattered most."

Caboose frowned sadly and pulled Locus into a warm embrace. He placed gentle kisses along Locus' bare neck. He knew he could not kiss away these problems, but Caboose hoped the affection at least helped Locus feel a little better. "It's okay now, Locus," Caboose tried.

Suddenly, Locus did not feel quite as sad or scared as before. No, those feelings melted away and was replaced with anger. He gritted his teeth and pushed Caboose away roughly. "No, it's not okay," Locus hissed, sounding far harsher than he intended, but he was too angry to acknowledge it. He turned to face Caboose fully and shot him a cold glare. "It's not okay, Caboose. I got my entire unit killed. Johnson died because of me. I became a god damn mercenary. I killed so many innocent people. Everything is far from okay. I'm a fucking monster and none of this is okay, you fucking idiot!"

He had not even realized it, but he had raised his voice to a very loud volume. Caboose had a scared look on his face, which snapped Locus out of it. His expression softened and his teeth unclenched. His rage subsided and he was consumed with regret. He had nearly gotten violent with Caboose.

"I-I'm sorry," Locus said with a quiet voice as he backed away from Caboose. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you like that… I-I…"

"… Locus, I forgive you," Caboose said slowly. His hand reached out for Locus, but Locus shied away immediately.

"I should go. I can't stay with you. I'm just going to hurt you," Locus said as he jumped out of bed and over to their closet. While he began snagging his things and throwing them in his duffle bag, Caboose jumped out of bed and hurried over to him. Caboose knelt beside Locus and took his hand.

"Locus, I forgive you," he said with a quivering lip, sounding as if he were holding back tears. "You didn't mean it and you didn't do it. Please don't go. I forgive you."

Locus paused and stared down at their hands as Caboose began stroking Locus' skin with his thumb. After a moment, he began unpacking again. "Alright… I'll stay," Locus said quietly.

"Okay," Caboose said with a sniffle, releasing Locus' hand in favor of holding Locus tight and sniffling into his neck.

For a while, they were quiet. Locus let Caboose hold him where they knelt on the floor. He was certain he did not deserve to be forgiven, but he could not bear to leave Caboose like that. Not with Caboose begging for him to stay. Not with Caboose tearing up like that. If he was going to leave, he would have to wait until he was alone.

"Caboose…"

"… Yeah?"

"Captain Johnson… he was more than just my Captain to me," Locus started. "I think I might actually miss him."

Caboose responded with gentle kisses on his shoulders. He encouraged Locus to talk about it if he was ready to. So they sat at the closet talking for a while. Locus told Caboose about his unit and about the battle. He even told Caboose about Johnson, his Captain and the man he had admired most.

As Locus told his stories, Caboose asked questions and steered Locus toward memories from before the battle. He got Locus talking about basic training and the day he met Johnson and the rest of his unit. He even got Locus telling stories about Felix back before they became mercenaries. He got Locus talking about happier memories.

It was about two in the morning when they finally crawled back into bed.


End file.
